This Valentine’s Day, love is all around. Athens and Ohio University have been home to many love stories.
Karen Gravlin, a 2003 alumna from Colorado, found herself wanting to attend an out-of-state school. She applied to six out-of-state schools, but there was one school overriding her thoughts: OU.
“My dad and I did that traditional college spring break tour where you go and visit all the campuses,” Gravlin said. “We went to six different places, and I can literally feel it in my bones, like the minute I got to campus. It was spring, so of course … spring in Athens, it’s just so beautiful.”
She said when she pulled off the highway and saw the campus, she was in awe. However, it was when she hit the bricks that she really felt the impact of Athens. OU had the traditional, nostalgic feeling other universities did not. On her tour, she ate at Court Street Diner, now HangOverEasy, and she worked there all four years of college.
“It just had such a feeling of comfort and home about it,” Gravlin said. “I knew I loved everything about it from the minute I had gotten there.”
The most memorable moment for Gravlin, however, might have been 20 years ago on Jan. 25. Gravlin and her friends were having a night out at The Junction, now known as The J Bar, and she found herself starting a conversation with a man at the bar — a man who would later become her husband.
Though nightlife in Athens is a staple of the experience for Gravlin, it’s also a staple for many students, such as Ted James, a 2003 alumnus from Michigan, whose favorite place to gather with his friends is The Pub Bar on Court Street. James was also able to join a fraternity and grow his relationships through Greek life.
“I just fell in love with Athens as an amazing college town,” James said. “I thought there was quite a lot to do as far as being outside. I was part of the Greek life there — that was fun — and part of a great business program. So, it was the best of both worlds, I felt like.”
James has been able to keep the connections he made, and finding a way and place to fit in was important for him and remains so for other students. Luckily, he was able to find a home at OU in part because he went in not knowing anyone.
For many, OU’s campus is a deciding factor in the decision to go to OU, like for Sheila Trapp, a 1975 alumna. Trapp said she had applied before ever stepping foot on campus, but when former Marching 110 Director Gene Thrailkill showed Trapp around, she was taken aback by the beauty of the campus.
“It was a perfect fit for me,” Trapp said. “It was small enough that I didn't feel lost in the crowd.”
Trapp enjoyed the musical aspect of OU and considered herself a “groupie” for the Marching 110 since the band did not allow female members at the time. She also enjoyed Miller’s Chicken, the Bagel Buggy and a night out on Court Street.
For Trapp, the love for Athens is strong, and she finds herself visiting Athens, specifically for OU’s Homecoming.
“The last time I was there, I was standing at one of the goalposts just taking some pictures,” Trapp said. “This student walked up to me and said, ‘What was it like when you were here?’ And I was like, I can't even believe he'd asked me that because it was just such a cool question. So, we just stood there and talked.”
As for the answer to his question, though some of the scenery and customs have changed, the spirit and love for the area remained.
“It was the best four years of my life,” Trapp said.
Another alumna from 2002, Lisa Federer Milne, feels the same exact way. She and her husband attended OU, and she said their family bleeds green and white. She said the campus held an overwhelming sense of belonging.
“I was taken aback by the freedom students had to be themselves and how the University gave them the space and resources to do so,” Federer Milne said in an email. “There were protestors on College Green, thought-provoking murals on the graffiti wall, and students playing beach volleyball on South Green. I was just so excited to get my hands into everything.”
These alumni feel there’s a lot that sets Athens and OU apart from other college towns: It could be the beauty of Strouds Run on a sunny day, GoodFella’s Pizza after a night out or the comforting feeling of home the campus provides.
The love for Athens and OU runs deep and, while memories are being made by current students, alumni continue to reminisce about their own.
